Security has been beefed up across the country. A scene from Gurgaon Railway Station. PTI Photo
Delhi blast a heinous terror act, says Centre after high-level meet
The Centre describes the explosion as “a dastardly and cowardly act by anti-national forces''
The explosion near New Delhi’s Red Fort on November 10, which killed at least 12 people, has been termed a “heinous act of terror” by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS).
On Wednesday (November 12), Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the high-level meeting, which was attended by Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and other top officials.
The Cabinet, meeting at the Prime Minister’s residence, observed a two-minute silence in memory of the victims. In a statement, the Centre described the explosion as “a dastardly and cowardly act by anti-national forces” and reaffirmed India’s “unwavering commitment to zero tolerance against terrorism in all its forms”.
Accused did multiple recces
An analysis of dump data retrieved from the mobile phone of Dr Muzammil Ganaie, who was arrested after police busted a white-collar terror module recently, showed that he conducted multiple reconnaissances of the Red Fort area in January this year, officials said.
Police said they suspect these reconnaissances were part of a larger conspiracy to target the historic monument on Republic Day, but were foiled due to intensified patrolling in the area at the time.
During investigation, it was found that two of the key suspects, Dr Umar, who was driving the Hyundai i20 car that exploded, and Muzammil, had travelled to Turkiye. Sources said the investigators have found Turkish immigration stamps in their passports and are examining whether the two met any foreign-based handler during their trip.
Red Ford EcoSport traced to Faridabad
A red Ford EcoSport car suspected to be linked to the Delhi Red Fort blast case has been traced and seized in Faridabad. When asked if the EcoSport car has been traced, a Faridabad police spokesperson confirmed over the phone, saying, "Yes, it has been found in Khandawali village".
Earlier, the Delhi Police sounded an alert across all police stations, posts, and border checkpoints in the national capital to trace the red Ford EcoSport car.
The alert was issued after the investigation revealed that other suspects, already connected to the Hyundai i20 used in the explosion, were also in possession of another red-coloured car.
Also Read: Delhi blast: Test explosion or premature detonation? Expert answers
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday (November 12) visited the LNJP Hospital and met the survivors, saying the perpetrators will be brought to justice.
"Went to LNJP Hospital and met those injured during the blast in Delhi. Praying for everyone's quick recovery. Those behind the conspiracy will be brought to justice!" Modi said in a post on X.
Visited Red Fort multiple times
Dr Muzammil visited the Red Fort multiple times to study the security arrangements and crowd density patterns along with Dr Umar Nabi, an assistant professor at the Al-Falah University who is said to have been driving the car that exploded on Monday, officials said.
Their movements were corroborated through tower location data and CCTV footage collected from nearby areas, they added.
"These visits were part of a detailed reconnaissance ahead of a planned attack on January 26," the officer said.
The Special Cell of Delhi Police has detained a Faridabad-based car dealer and directed all second-hand car dealers across Delhi and adjoining states to verify and share details of recent vehicle sales, officials said on Wednesday.
Accidentally triggered?
Officials have said that the findings of the initial investigation into the blast near the Red Fort in Delhi suggest it may have been "accidentally triggered" while a hastily assembled explosive device was being transported.
Investigators have zeroed in on a Pulwama-based doctor, Umar Nabi, who was driving the car used in the explosion that claimed 12 lives, and had alleged links to the terror module busted with the recovery of explosives mainly from neighbouring Faridabad in Haryana.
On Tuesday, the Jammu and Kashmir Police took a DNA sample from Nabi's mother to establish the relation.
Sources said that the explosion was triggered in panic and desperation after raids by the security agencies across multiple locations in Delhi-NCR and Pulwama, J-K, to nab suspects believed to be part of the terror module, PTI reported.
Also Read: Terror plot: Who are the 4 arrested doctors and the suspected suicide bomber?
"The suspect was likely spooked after the raid in Faridabad which forced him to relocate hastily, increasing the chance of a mishap. The incident appears to have shifted from a suspected suicide attack to an unintended explosion during transport," a senior police officer said.
However, police are probing all angles, including suicide bomber attack, the sources said.
The officer said that intelligence teams' first assessment suggests the improvised explosive device (IED) was assembled incorrectly, which limited its destructive effect.
"The bomb was premature and not fully developed, thus limiting the impact. The explosion did not create a crater and no shrapnel or projectiles were found," he added.
Al Falah University statement
Under the scanner after the blast, Al Falah University in Haryana's Faridabad on Wednesday said it has only a professional association with the two of its doctors arrested in connection with the Red Fort blast and is anguished by the unfortunate developments.
While distancing itself from the terror-linked doctors, the university in a statement asserted that it is a responsible institution and stands in solidarity with the nation.
The forensics team has collected around 40 samples from the blast site, including two cartridges, live ammunition, and samples of two different types of explosives.
Also Read: Red Fort blast probed as terror attack, Kashmir doctors under lens
During the investigation on Monday, 360 kgs of ammonium nitrate was recovered from Faridabad, where Dr Muzammil Ganaie and Dr Shaheen Sayeed, both connected to Al-Falah University, were arrested.
"The second explosive sample is believed to be more powerful than ammonium nitrate. Its exact composition will be confirmed after detailed forensic examination," an official said.
According to officials, the forensics team found the cartridges while inspecting the spot. Further investigation is underway to determine the nature of the explosives and how they were used in the blast.
Preacher detained
As part of the ongoing probe into the module's activities, Jammu and Kashmir Police on Wednesday detained a preacher from Mewat in Haryana.
Maulvi Ishtiyaq, who has been brought to Srinagar, was staying in a rented house within the Al Falah University complex in Faridabad. It was from his home that police had recovered more than 2,500 kgs of explosives, officials said.
Maulvi Ishtiyaq, who will be the ninth person to be nabbed in the case, is likely to be placed under arrest.
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Live Updates
- 12 Nov 2025 12:32 PM IST
Father of woman doctor arrested in Faridabad denies knowledge of her activities
The father of Dr Shaheen, a Lucknow-based doctor arrested in connection with the massive explosives seizure in Faridabad, said that he was unaware of her alleged involvement in such activities.
Syed Ahmad Ansari, her father, said, “My house has been searched. They found nothing. I won’t say anything further, even if you bring a court order… I don’t want to say anything.”
Dr Shaheen, who was arrested on Monday (November 10), is a resident of Daliganj in Lucknow.
- 12 Nov 2025 12:18 PM IST
DNA sample of Delhi car blast suspect's mother sent to AIIMS for forensic analysis
The DNA sample of the mother of the suspect Dr Umar Un Nabi has been collected and sent to AIIMS forensic laboratory for further investigation, ANI reported, quoting sources
Phave zeroed in on a Pulwama-based doctor, Umar Nabi, who was driving the car used in the explosion that claimed 12 lives, and had alleged links to the terror module busted with the recovery of explosives mainly from neighbouring Faridabad in Haryana.
- 12 Nov 2025 12:05 PM IST
Delhi blast 'extremely unfortunate': Haryana DGP says state on high alert
Reacting to the Delhi car blast, Haryana DGP OP Singh called the incident “extremely unfortunate” and said that the state police had been placed on high alert.
"Thousands of police personnel are deployed across Haryana as part of heightened security protocols," he said. "We are monitoring all suspected hideouts, parking areas, unclaimed vehicles, and luggage to ensure no breach goes undetected. High alert is not just a phrase — it involves thousands of hours of work and full coordination with other agencies."
Expressing condolences, Singh added, "Our thoughts are with the families of the victims. We pray for a speedy recovery of the injured and hope the agencies concerned swiftly bring the culprits to justice."
- 12 Nov 2025 11:54 AM IST
Iran offers condolences over Delhi car blast
Iran on Wednesday (November 12) offered condolences over the explosion in Delhi near the Red Fort metro station that left 12 people dead and many injured.
Esmail Baqaei, spokesman for Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, conveyed the condolences and sympathy of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the government and people of India, particularly to the families of the victims.
He expressed wishes for the swift recovery of those injured in this tragic incident.
- 12 Nov 2025 11:52 AM IST
Three Arrested in Hapur with acid, explosives; Police probe link to Delhi blast
Three persons were arrested from two separate locations in Hapur, Uttar Pradesh for allegedly carrying 46 kg of hydrofluoric acid and 2.5 kg of explosives without authorisation, police said on Wednesday (November 12).
The arrests came amid heightened security checks following the blast in Delhi, they said.
The police are also probing if these recoveries have any link to the Delhi blast case or the seizure of explosives in the Faridabad terror module, they added.
- 12 Nov 2025 11:20 AM IST
CCTV footage captures moment of Red Fort explosion, confirms blast timings
A CCTV footage capturing the exact moment of the powerful explosion near Delhi’s Red Fort surfaced on Wednesday (November 12).
The footage, recorded by a surveillance camera at the Red Fort crossing, shows heavy traffic movement before a sudden fireball engulfs the frame, triggering chaos and panic.
The blast, which occurred around 6:50 pm on Monday, resembled a red balloon bursting, followed by people scrambling for cover.
Police said the CCTV recording corroborates the previously established time of the explosion.
- 12 Nov 2025 11:16 AM IST
NIA forms a 'dedicated' team to probe Delhi car blast
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has constituted a "dedicated and comprehensive" investigation team to conduct a thorough probe into the Delhi car blast, ANI reported, citing sources. The team will reportedly operate under the supervision of senior officers of the rank of Superintendent of Police and above.
This development comes a day after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) formally handed over the case to the NIA, considering the possibility of a terror link. The agency has since registered the case and launched a detailed investigation, the report added.
- 12 Nov 2025 11:11 AM IST
Mobile dump data reveals arrested Dr Muzammil visited Red Fort multiple times in January
Dr Muzammil Ganaie, one of the prime suspects arrested in connection with the white-collar terror module busted recently, had conducted multiple reconnaissances of the Red Fort area in January this year, police analysing his mobile dump data said.
They said they suspect the recces were part of a larger conspiracy to target the historic monument on January 26, which might have failed due to intense patrolling in the area at the time.
Mobile dump data reveals shocking details
A senior police officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the ongoing analysis of dump data retrieved from Dr Muzammil's mobile phone showed his repeated presence in and around the Red Fort area in the first week of January, according to a PTI report.
"These visits were part of a detailed reconnaissance ahead of a planned attack on January 26," the officer said.
He said Dr Muzammil, along with his associate Dr Umar Nabi, visited the Red Fort multiple times to study the security arrangements and crowd density patterns. Their movements were corroborated through tower location data and CCTV footage collected from nearby areas.
Digital footprint being probed
Police said they are now analysing Dr Muzammil's communications and digital footprint to know about funding for the module's activities and the source from where they procured the explosives. They are also verifying if other suspects conducted similar recces or provided logistical support to the arrested suspects.
Police have also collected several mobile dump data, especially of Dr Umar's movement near the Red Fort, to know if he was in touch with anyone just before the blast.
On Monday (November 10) evening, a high-intensity blast from a slow-moving car ripped through the Red Fort metro station area, killing 12 people and leaving many injured.
- 12 Nov 2025 10:45 AM IST
J-K cops detain Haryana preacher linked to Faridabad terror module
Jammu and Kashmir Police on Wednesday (November 12) detained a preacher from Mewat, Haryana, in connection with the ‘white-collar’ terror module allegedly operating from a university in Faridabad, officials said.
He is likely to be placed under arrest, they added.
Faridabad Univeristy probe widens
The preacher, Maulvi Ishtiyaq, who has been brought to Srinagar, was residing in a rented accommodation within the Al Falah University complex in Faridabad. According to officials, it was from this residence that police recovered over 2,500 kg of ammonium nitrate, potassium chlorate, and sulphur.
Ishtiyaq will be the ninth person detained in the case. Police had earlier conducted interstate raids on November 10 in coordination with their counterparts in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, to expose a so-called ‘white-collar’ terror network linked to the banned outfits Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind.
The seized explosive materials were reportedly stored at his rented premises by Dr Muzammil Ganaie alias Musaib and Dr Umar Nabi, the latter being the man who drove the explosives-laden car that detonated outside Red Fort on Monday evening, resulting in the death of 12 people.
- 12 Nov 2025 10:28 AM IST
Al-Falah University under scanner after Delhi car blast
Al-Falah university and its 76-acre sprawling campus the Muslim-dominated Dhauj village in Haryana's Faridabad district has come under the scanner following the arrest of three doctors in connection with the "white-collar terror module" and the high-intensity explosion near Delhi's Red Fort.
With educated individuals found to be "acting at the behest of Pakistan-backed handlers", investigators are scrutinising how the university turned into a safe haven for such individuals.
Al-Falah University Probe Intensifies
Police said they conducted inspections in the university throughout the day on Tuesday (November 11) and questioned several people. Dr Muzammil Ganaie, who was among the arrested, was a teacher at the Al-Falah University.
On Monday (November 10) evening, a high-intensity blast ripped through an explosive-laden car near Delhi's Red Fort metro station, killing 12 people and injuring several others. Pulwama-based doctor Mohammad Umar Nabi, who was suspected to have been behind the wheels of the Hyundai i20, was an assistant professor at Al-Falah University.
The blast came hours after eight people, including three doctors connected to the university, were arrested and 2,900 kilograms of explosives were seized with the uncovering of a "white-collar terror module" involving the Jaish-e-Mohammed and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind and spanning Kashmir, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
